Waking up after the death of two firemen in the blaze in Sector 17 earlier this month, the Municipal Corporation proposes to have a policy to provide group insurance for personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services Wing, compensation for firemen who die on duty and a job to one family member on compassionate grounds.

The proposal will be discussed during the meeting of the General House of MC scheduled for June 25.

The demand for compensation and jobs to the next of kin of firemen dying on duty was raised six years back after the death of fireman
Amarjit Mavi while firefighting in Sector 22. The proposal was approved in the MC House and sent to the administration, but there the matter ended.

After the latest tragedy involving the building housing the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, the issue has got revived. Some time ago, a delegation of firemen had met Home Secretary Anil Kumar and demanded a fair deal. The Home Secretary had then asked the MC to work out for firemen a policy on the pattern of Delhi.

Councillor Arun Sood said, “Such proposals have been made time and again, but have not received approval from the administration. Things would be different this time with the change in government. MP Kirron Kher will pursue the issue at all levels, including the Ministry of Home Affairs. If changes in policy are required to be made through Parliament, we will ensure this is done.”

Councillor Pardeep Chhabra, one of the councillors who in a meeting recently with Mayor H C Kalyan had chalked out the proposal, said that the firefighters would be provided with an insurance cover and compensation as was provided to police or defence personnel. He added that the lack of any policy affected the morale of firefighers.

It is proposed that in Mavi’s case, one of his sons should be provided with a job.

A committee of councillors had visited all fire stations last year and prepared a report highlighting various anomalies. The report has been lying in cold storage since then. There is a demand for the report to be discussed in the meeting.

The mayor said efforts would be made to provide all possible facilities to the firemen and the issue deliberated upon in the meeting scheduled for next week.